USE OF FUNGI IN

BIODEGRADATION

By – AMIT VERMA
 Technologies biodegradation
• Chemical methods
Coagulation, flocculation, combined with flotation
and filtration, precipitation, ion exchange,
electroflotation, electrokinetic coagulation.
• Physical methods
Membrane-filtration processes (nanofiltration,
reverse osmosis, electrodialysis, . . .) and adsorption
techniques.
• Biological treatments
Biodegradation methods such as fungal
decolorization, microbial degradation, adsorption
by (living or dead) microbial biomass and
bioremediation systems
 Biodegradation/bioremediation

• The chemical breakdown of materials by

living organisms in environment.
• Organic material can be degraded aerobically
with oxygen, or anaerobically, without
oxygen.
• The process depends on certain
microorganisms, such as bacteria, yeast, and
fungi.
 Methods of biodegradation

Under appropriate conditions of moisture,

temperature, and oxygen availability,
biodegradation is a relatively rapid process
Two types of microorganisms are of particular
interest in the biodegradation of natural and
synthetic polymers: bacteria and fungi.
 Type of fungi for biodegradation

• White rot mushroom

• Brown rot mushroom
• Soft rot mushroom
Mushroom
 White rot mushroom

White rot fungi can degrade all cell wall

components, including lignin. They often cause
a bleaching of normal wood coloration. Their
ability to metabolize large amounts of lignin in
wood is unique among microorganisms.
 Brown rot mushroom

Brown-rot mushroom depolymerase cellulose

rapidly during incipient stages of wood
colonization. Considerable losses in wood
strength occur very early in the decay process,
often before decay characteristics are visually
evident.
Brown-rot mushroom commonly cause decay in living trees,
downed timber and wood used in buildings.
Cell wall carbohydrates are degraded extensively during
decay leaving a modified, lignin-rich substrate .
Scanning electron micrograph of brown-rotted wood. Only
slight pressure causes the wood cell walls to crumble into
minute fragments.
 Soft rot fungi

• Fungi that cause soft-rot are taxonomically

classified in the subdivisions, Ascomycota
and Deuteromycota.
• However, soft rots can occur in dry
environments and may be macroscopically
similar to brown rot.
Soft rot in wood often appears brown and can be confused
with decay caused by brown rot fungi.
Soft rot is different from other types of wood decay.
Chains of cavities are produced inside the cell wall. This
micrograph taken of a section from soft-rotted wood and
viewed with a light microscope shows cavities within the
cell walls.
Two distinct types of soft rot are currently
recognized.

• Type 1 is characterized by longitudinal

cavities formed within the secondary wall of
wood cells and
• Type 2 used to describe an erosion of the
entire secondary wall. The middle lamella is
not degraded (in contrast to cell wall erosion
by white-rot fungi), but may be modified in
advanced stages of decay.
 Different of white and brown rot

White rot fungi, found in the wood of deciduous trees,

first attack the lignin of wood. Once the lignin is
digested, the fungi destroy cellulose and other major
parts of cells. The partially decayed wood with residual
cellulose is off-white in color, hence the name "white rot
fungi." Brown rot fungi, found in conifers, damage the
cellulose first but do very little, if any, damage to the
lignin. The name "brown rot fungi" came about because
infected wood becomes dark reddish-brown to golden
in color.
White Rot mushroom Degradation System:

Three types of extracellular enzymes are

produced by white rot fungi that are non-
selective yet effective in attacking lignin.  These
are often referred to as Lignin Modifying
Enzymes (LMEs)/ligninolytic enzymes, and
they are Lignin Peroxidase (LiP), Manganese-
Dependent Peroxidase (MnP) and Laccase
(Lac).
 Lignin peroxidase
• LiP:  Not all white rot fungi produce LiP, but it
is a key component for the fungi that are being
investigated for use. 
• LiP oxidises methoxyl groups on aromatic rings
(R-O-CH3), and can work on substrates with
quite high redox potentials.
 Manganese peroxidase

• MnP is another enzymes containing

peroxidase, and uses H2O2 to catalyse
oxidation of Mn²+ to Mn³+, this in turn
oxidises phenolic substrates. 
• Although similar in action to LiP, it does not
have the same ability to oxidize substances
with higher redox potentials.
 Laccase

• Laccase is a multi copper oxidase which has

the ability to oxidise phenolic compounds. 
In the presence of oxygen, it converts
phenolic compounds into quinone radicals
and then further converts them to quinones. 
It also produces some co-substrates which can
be useful for degradation.